


I'll Wait For You

by Vedettal



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Father/Son Incest, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-25 18:07:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3819922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vedettal/pseuds/Vedettal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Herc owns a ranch, is miserably remarried, and Chuck reappears in his life to complicated things, for better or worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Chuck is fifteen in this AU, so if that bothers you, have a nice day! If not, sit back and enjoy with me!
> 
> Posting this because this fic is also kinda an apology for my other AU which I have little to no motivation to continue. I'm sorry! Maybe one day... But if you guys enjoyed this one, I'd be more than happy to do this AU (which I'm personally excited for). So it's all up to you guys.
> 
> Beta'd by my lovely [friend](http://archiveofourown.org/users/will_o_wisp) :)
> 
> Adding tags as I go along probably.

Herc hadn’t expected the call. He hadn’t spoken to Angela in over a decade, not since one year after their divorce, and Herc had sent his last birthday card to his son Charles.

She had told him it was probably for the better if he would have disappeared completely from Charles’s life. Healthier, she said. He wouldn’t be confused and torned up about his birth parents not cohabiting together.

It stung, to hear her say it, and Herc hurt all over, but he respected her wishes. Never contacted them again.

So when he picked up his phone, puzzled by the unregistered number, and heard Angela’s voice on the other line, his immediate thought went to Charles. His fears were quelled when she informed him that Charles --who went by Chuck now-- was perfectly fine, and that she was simply calling for a favour.

A big favour.

One his wife Hannah was enraged with. She practically bellowed at him, called Angie quite a few choice names, and demanded why Herc would even consider it, yet alone had agreed.

“Because he’s my son, Hannah,” he had told her, adamant on the subject. “My son. And I want to spend some time with him, even if it’s just the summer. Haven’t seen the little sprog in 11 years. Though he’s probably not-”

“He’s not your son!” she yelled back, and Herc felt his mood darken. “He doesn’t even know you, you’re just some guy who left his mom and-”

“Oi! That’s enough!” he shouted, fingers flexing as he gritted his teeth. “He’s going to spend the summer here, and I don’t care what you want to say about that!”

Hannah glared daggers at him, and Herc knew he was going to regret it later, but for now he couldn’t understand why she was opposed to the idea. Sure there might be one more plate to serve at the kitchen table and an extra load of laundry, but he could take care of that, or have Chuck do it even.

It wasn’t like the boy would be anymore of a burden. Herc could use with an extra pair of hands around here. God knows Hannah wasn’t helping…

She dropped the subject, though, much to his relief, and marched up the bedroom, muttering up a storm.

Herc sighed, watching her, fiddled with the rest of his food before deciding he had lost his appetite. After he had washed and dried the dishes, he settled into the couch --sure that was where he would be sleeping for a few nights until Hannah had mellowed down-- and drifted asleep with the thoughts of Chuck on his mind.

Maybe he could finally become part of his son’s life again.

 

++

 

When the day finally came  Angela had showed up on his porch with a slim but tall fifteen year old kid with a shock red mop of hair in a baggy sweatshirt and gray cap.Herc was anxious and quite taken back to see how he’d grown.

He hasn’t seen Chuck  in over ten years, true enough, but Herc had always had this image of a small child bouncing around and laughing when it came to his boy.

What he was presented with was a whole other story.

The kid looked angry and mean, like someone had stolen his wallet. He glowered at Herc the entire time as Angela and her new husband, Mike, were dropping off the last of Chuck’s belongings on their steps.

“So here’s the number to the house we’ll be staying at,” Angela said, handing him a slip of paper.

Herc took it and nodded. She would be traveling to Europe and he knew she had a sister who lived there, and it was probably the only reason she would staying the whole three months.

“And you have my number… Guess that’s it. Anything happens, you call me, okay?”

Herc offered her a playful smile. “Only thing that happens around is if you don’t shovel out the barn, the horses and pigs will start dragging shit all around the front yard, and that’s a pain in the arse to clean. Not to mention the smell starts stinking up the house.”

She frowned at him. “Language,” and he almost laughed at that. Leaning in, she tapped the piece of paper in his hand. “Anything.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

They both smiled and laughed at that, and Herc was reminded of when they were young and still in love. Before he had fucked it up and Angie had decided to divorce him, taking custody of Chuck with her.

The moment passed and Herc got the last bit of information and emergency contacts from her, before Angela turned to Chuck and gave him a hug.

“You do what Herc tells you to, okay?” she told him, smiling as she pulled back and pinched his cheeks. “He might be kind of a bull, but he means well.”

Chuck, pulling back with a grumble and swatting her hands away, pouted but nodded.

“I love you.”

“Love you too, mom.”

That was the first time Herc heard him speak since he’s gotten here, and he couldn’t help but melt a little at it. The boy didn’t look so angry and menacing anymore. He was actually smiling, albeit embarrassedly.

It was a good thing to note that he took after Herc’s family when it came to blushing and looking like a goddamn tomato.

They hugged one last time and Angela gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning to leave. Herc watched as Chuck and Mike, Chuck’s step father, just exchanged simple nods and ‘byes’ before the man took off, and they were pulling away from the ranch.

That made him think, but as he stood there, stock-still and silent, he hadn’t realize how awkward it was becoming until he heard Chuck muttering out a quiet “um.” Herc blinked and looked back at his boy who was staring at him like he was the weirdest person on the planet.

_That was gonna take some time getting used to._

Clearing his throat, with a smile, he reached for the two suitcases Chuck had brought with him.

“Your room’s upstairs,” he said, motioning the boy to the stairs. “Here, I’ll show you.”

Herc had cleaned out his old supply room where he kept dusty furniture and other useless memorabilias and trinkets he was too lazy to throw out. It was small and quaint, painted a shade of sky blue with an old dresser nailed down on one end, a few drawers on the other, and a small writing table.

He had even gone out to town and bought a small bed for for the boy. Not too extravagant but enough so Chuck would at least he comfortable at night.

And he had taken the liberty to dust and prop open the window for a few days so the smell of stale air and musty floor wouldn’t be assaulting the poor boy’s nose every time he stepped inside the room. Now the place was at least a little welcoming.

When they made their way up the stairs, Herc nudged the door open and set Chuck’s bags on the ground next to his bed. He turned and smiled at the still apprehensive boy.

“I know it isn’t the most luxurious, or attractive, but at least you got a bed, eh?” he joked in an attempt to break the tension.

Chuck didn’t even blink as he stepped inside the room and glanced it up and down. “Whatever.”

That made Herc sour. Sure, they don’t really know each other, and this was just a temporary arrangement, but that didn’t excuse the attitude. But Herc was determined not to lose his temper. That would only make matters worse.

“I’ll let you get settled in,” he said, moving to the door before leaning against it and offering up a smile. “Dinner’s in a coupla hours. I’ll call when it’s ready. Hope you like lasagna.”

Chuck hadn’t said anything, didn’t even acknowledge Herc as he sat down on the bed and pulled out his phone and clicked around frustratedly. It was a few seconds later till he spoke up. “You don’t have any wifi?”

With a sigh, Herc shook his head. “No.”

“What the hell kind of backwater house is this? What do you do around here, then?”

“Actual things. Like cleaning the stables, or feeding the chicks, or hay baling.”

“S’stupid.”

Herc was losing his patience. He hadn’t expected Chuck to like it here immediately, and even complain about it for a few weeks, but not the kid to be blatantly disrespectful.

“Look, I know this isn’t what you exactly wanted, but you’re here now. Figure we might as well make the best of it, and when summer’s over, you can get back to whatever the hell is it you’ve been doing.”

“Fine. Whatever,” Chuck gripped rolling his eyes. “You at least got an electrical socket?”

With a sigh, Herc pointed to the corner of the room and watched as Chuck pulled out a charger of sorts and fiddled with the plug, before he walked out and down the stairs, leaving the petulant teenager to his sulking.

Irritated and annoyed, Herc headed to the kitchen to start dinner. He was still in a foul as he prepared the beef and Hannah walked in, giving him a hard look, asked if Chuck was here yet, and disappeared up the stairs when he answered yes.

He sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. _Great, now I have two people who are pissed off with me._

This was going to be a lovely fucking summer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Herc, Chuck, and Hannah sit down for a not so pleasant dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to this lovely [dear](http://archiveofourown.org/users/will_o_wisp) for assisting (practically giving) me in the argument. You're too good for me.

Dinner was strained to say the least. Neither Hannah nor Chuck had said more than two words as they sat down and both glared at Herc like his face offended them.

They both picked at their food, Hannah chewing violently and mumbling up complaints underneath her breath, while Chuck had hardly taken more than a bite.

Deciding to ignore his wife’s tantrum, Herc looked at Chuck, a frown on his face. “You should eat up. S’good for you, put some meat on those bones.”

Chuck didn’t bother to look up. “What do you care?”

“I’m your dad-”

“You’re not my dad!” Chuck shouted, staring up at him with heated eyes. “You haven’t been my dad for 11 years!”

There was a lengthy silence with Herc unsure of how to respond properly to that and just processing the words. Chuck just ground his teeth, giving him a furious look.

After a moment, he exhaled sharply and gave Chuck a solemn look. He couldn’t blame his son for feeling that way. Chuck was right. It’s not like Herc was there for him when he was going up, went to soccer games, showed up at his birthday parties, or even taught him how to ride a bicycle.

As far as Chuck was concerned, his ‘dad’ was just as much as stranger to him as anybody else.

“You’re right,” he said, putting his fork down and staring directly at Chuck. “I wasn’t there for you growing up, and you probably hate my guts for it. I don’t blame you.”

Shocked, Chuck raised his brows, straightening in his chair and frowning hard like he hadn’t expected Herc to acknowledge what a shitty parent he actually was.

“But your mom dropped you here,” he continued, noticing Hannah’s notable lack of concern with a glance over at her. “And its my job to take care of you now. So I’d rather you hate me than for her to come back and see her son thin as a twig, and possibly killing me for what a horrible job I did.”

Chuck gave a long pause and Herc thought for a moment the boy was going burst out another temper when he suddenly rolled his eyes and sank back into his seat defeatedly.

“Whatever.”

At least it wasn’t an ‘I hate you’ or ‘you can’t tell me what to do.’ Herc counted his win, nodding at his son before picking up his fork again. He watched as his boy chewed a mouthful, let it sit on his tongue before swallowing with an approving hum.

He hungrily ate another forkful.

That made Herc smile brightly as he started digging into his own plate again. _At least I know he doesn’t hate my cooking, that’s a starter._

They ate for a few more minutes in total silence until Chuck had completely cleaned his plate, pushing it aside and looking up with an expression that read the boy was a bit more hungry than he let on.

_Good_ , Herc thought, _means he’s still going through his growth spurts._

“Seconds?” he asked Chuck, standing from the table and taking his empty plate. “Or if you want I made cookies. Chocolate chip. You used to love them.”

Maybe that wasn’t so smart, bringing up the past like that and how Herc used to be part of his son’s life before he left. It made him wonder if Chuck even knew the reason why he left, if Angie had bother to sit down with him about it.

Herc doubted it.

Chuck, however, didn’t seem to mind, instead glancing up at Herc and licking his lips eagerly. “Both?” he wondered.

Herc let out a chuckle before disappearing into the kitchen and returning with another plateful of lasagna and a couple of cookies. He threw in a soda for the hell of it. If he was gonna spoil his kid with sweets, he might as well make it worth the while.

Angela was definitely going to kill him now.

“So I was thinking tomorrow you would come help me out in the barn. I’ll show you how to clean out the stables and dens, and let you feed the animals too. Got some horses back there you might like, hm?”

Chuck didn’t respond immediately, opting to give Herc a quizzical look. Finally he made a face and tilted his head. “Why do I have to help you?”

“Well, you don’t _have_ to, but I could use the extra pair of hands. Gives us some time to bond, too. Figure if we’re gonna spend the summer together, I’d much rather we be helping one another than fighting. ‘Sides, what else have you got to do? No wifi and all.”

There was an empty pause as Chuck chewed on a cookie, shifting his attention from Herc’s face to the dining room walls as if in thought. A soft frown as he made a face briefly before slumping into his face and shrugging.

“Fine. Whatever.”

Herc was going to grow tired of that word, really fast. He was gonna have to teach his boy a proper response, and some modicum of respect, but that would have to be later, if ever. For now he smiled and nodded.

The rest of the meal was done in silent. Perfectly fine with Herc as they finished their food and Chuck excused himself upstairs, asking once for the bathroom.  He directed the boy to it and watched as he rushed out the kitchen.

When Chuck disappeared and Herc heard the bathroom door open and shut, he turned his attention back to the kitchen table and saw as Hannah glared at him. She hadn’t spoken a single word the entire evening, and now she simply looked annoyed.

He sighed at that.

“Hannah, look-”

His reply was met by an impatient “what?”

Taken aback, Herc stared a moment, fighting down the angry answer he wanted to use. With Hannah, best thing was to always keep it calm as he could.

“Look, we might as well make the best of it. And he’s not an unlikeable sprog.”

“He’s mouthy,” she said, standing now, collecting plates with a little more aggression than she should be, and acting as if that was enough cause to utterly hate Chuck.

“He’s fifteen,” said Herc, tersely, trying to help.

She was setting things in the sink and he decided touch might be best. He reached out, trying to pull her in for a hug, and she rolled neatly from his arms with a disdainful look that hurt more than a slap.

“Hannah.” His voice was rough now. “Why the fuck are you still punishing me for what you did?”

She turned, now, after setting down a container with a snap. Her eyes were red, like she was about to cry. “I’m not punishing you.”

“Yes, you are. For not being around enough, I get it. People are people, you’re only human, but I didn’t make you-” he took a breath. “Chuck’s difficult, but he’s got nothing to do with what you did.”

“You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t regret what I did? You think I like fighting with you like this? Because I don’t.”

“That’s not what I-”

She pulled away, shaking her head, when he tried moving for her again, and raising her arms as not to be bothered anymore. Pushing past him, he watched as she headed out of the room and towards the stairs.

Herc mean to call her back but as he opened his mouth to do so she answered before he had a chance.

“I’m going to bed.”

Turning, he let out an exasperated sigh as he rested his hands on the countertop, leaning over the sink. It wasn’t like any of this had been his fault and yet he was still taking the fucking blunt for it.

In an attempt to ease himself of the frustration Herc nearly snapped a plate in half while cleaning.


End file.
